In 1962, Washington’s Dulles International Airport was dedicated by President Kennedy.

In 1970, the Soviet Union landed an unmanned, remote-controlled vehicle on the moon, the Lunokhod 1.

In 1973, President Nixon told Associated Press managing editors meeting in Orlando, Fla.: “People have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I’m not a crook.”

In 1979, Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini ordered the release of 13 female and black American hostages being held at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

In 2002, Israeli statesman Abba Eban died near Tel Aviv at age 87.

Ten years ago: A Russian Mars space probe carrying plutonium plunged into the South Pacific Ocean after failing to break out of Earth’s orbit following its launch. The World Food Summit concluded a five-day meeting in Rome.

Five years ago: The Taliban confirmed the death of Osama bin Laden’s military chief Mohammed Atef in an airstrike three days earlier. Burhanuddin Rabbani, the Afghan president ousted five years earlier by the Taliban, returned to the capital Kabul. Lennox Lewis knocked out Hasim Rahman in the fourth round to get back his WBC and IBF heavyweight titles. Former U.S. Sen. Harrison A. Williams Jr., whose political career was ended by the Abscam bribery scandal, died in Denville, N.J., at age 81.

One year ago: U.S. Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, considered one of Congress’ most hawkish Democrats, called for an immediate U.S. withdrawal from Iraq. A jury in Sarasota, Fla., convicted mechanic Joseph Smith of kidnapping, raping and strangling 11-year-old Carlie Brucia, whose abduction had been captured by a car-wash security camera.